Coccidiosis

[NwChickOwner]

I previously posted about a chicken that went down last Thursday. The vet was concerned about worms, coccidiosis, and she never excludes Mareks. She immediately began treatment for worms and antibiotics because the vet knew of the farm we got them from and said she had seen parasites in their chickens before. A flock fecal showed positive for Coccidiosis and a nematode (low levels). The chicken that went down is not showing improvement. The vet (an avian specialist but not a chicken specialist) thought that she would show improvement by now if the coccidiosis was the only cause of her illness. I asked if we are just torturing the chicken (tube feeding) or if there is a chance she will improve and the vet said she honestly doesn't know. Today is the fifth day of her antibiotics.

I came here to ask about your experience with severe coccidiosis?

How long after treating did it take your chicken to recover?

Any advice on how long to attempt treatment is appreciated. We are tube feeding per the doctor's recommendation, cleaning her bottom, and moving her muscles like physical therapy twice a day. Now we may need to also plan her euthanization during the week so she could be sent to the state lab and the holidays will affect their hours.

 

[coach723]

I read through your other thread here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-golden-sexlink-chicken-need-ideas-on-cause.1606679/
If she's drinking normally then you usually see improvement within a few days, but it can take longer for complete recovery, it depends on how much damage is done to the digestive tract. If she's not drinking normally then she may not take in enough medication. You can also give an oral dose of the Corid for up to three days, to get the medication levels up, dosing for that is here, it's in addition to the medicated water:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/

I didn't see vitamins mentioned anywhere, if she were mine I would give her a B complex or Super B complex tablet or capsule daily (human ones from any pharmacy), after corid treatment is completed. Do not give thiamine (B1) at the same time as Corid, it can make the Corid less effective. The B's can cause all kinds of neuromuscular symptoms if they are deficient. They are very safe, extra will be excreted, no worries about too much and they won't interact with anything else you are giving (except Corid). Parasites can cause intestinal damage that can affect their ability to absorb nutrients, so that could be a contributing factor. I would at least try the vitamins, deficiencies are not uncommon. In the event that nothing helps, I do recommend that you have her necropsied (your state lab may be more affordable than the vet) to find out for sure what's going on. Then you will know if it's something viral or not.

Necropsy resources by state:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I previously posted about a chicken that went down last Thursday. The vet was concerned about worms, coccidiosis, and she never excludes Mareks. She immediately began treatment for worms and antibiotics because the vet knew of the farm we got them from and said she had seen parasites in their chickens before. A flock fecal showed positive for Coccidiosis and a nematode (low levels). The chicken that went down is not showing improvement. The vet (an avian specialist but not a chicken specialist) thought that she would show improvement by now if the coccidiosis was the only cause of her illness. I asked if we are just torturing the chicken (tube feeding) or if there is a chance she will improve and the vet said she honestly doesn't know. Today is the fifth day of her antibiotics.

I came here to ask about your experience with severe coccidiosis?

How long after treating did it take your chicken to recover?

Any advice on how long to attempt treatment is appreciated. We are tube feeding per the doctor's recommendation, cleaning her bottom, and moving her muscles like physical therapy twice a day. Now we may need to also plan her euthanization during the week so she could be sent to the state lab and the holidays will affect their hours.

What is being used to treat the Coccidiosis and the dosage?

Corid will generally take care of Coccidiosis and you should see recovery fairly quickly within in couple of days.
Sometimes a bird may have a strain that doesn't respond to Corid, so Toltrazuril or a Sulfa antibiotic to treat severe outbreaks.

If you feel the vet is not being helpful or aggressive enough with treatment, these can be ordered online and you can treat her yourself.

With her Age, Marek's disease is always a possibility as discussed in your other thread which can be found HERE:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-ideas-on-cause.1606679/page-2#post-27379364

 

[NwChickOwner]

I read through your other thread here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-golden-sexlink-chicken-need-ideas-on-cause.1606679/
If she's drinking normally then you usually see improvement within a few days, but it can take longer for complete recovery, it depends on how much damage is done to the digestive tract. If she's not drinking normally then she may not take in enough medication. You can also give an oral dose of the Corid for up to three days, to get the medication levels up, dosing for that is here, it's in addition to the medicated water:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/

I didn't see vitamins mentioned anywhere, if she were mine I would give her a B complex or Super B complex tablet or capsule daily (human ones from any pharmacy), after corid treatment is completed. Do not give thiamine (B1) at the same time as Corid, it can make the Corid less effective. The B's can cause all kinds of neuromuscular symptoms if they are deficient. They are very safe, extra will be excreted, no worries about too much and they won't interact with anything else you are giving (except Corid). Parasites can cause intestinal damage that can affect their ability to absorb nutrients, so that could be a contributing factor. I would at least try the vitamins, deficiencies are not uncommon. In the event that nothing helps, I do recommend that you have her necropsied (your state lab may be more affordable than the vet) to find out for sure what's going on. Then you will know if it's something viral or not.

Necropsy resources by state:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Thank you for this! The flock is acting normal but this one girl is not. She is not drinking or eating on her own, just the tube feeding. She wan't given Corid, she was given a stronger sulfa medication, I don't recal the name of it. It is prescribed every 12 hours for 7 days. The vet said she would assist with getting the chicken to the lab. I think she wants answers as well.

 

[NwChickOwner]

What is being used to treat the Coccidiosis and the dosage?

Corid will generally take care of Coccidiosis and you should see recovery fairly quickly within in couple of days.
Sometimes a bird may have a strain that doesn't respond to Corid, so Toltrazuril or a Sulfa antibiotic to treat severe outbreaks.

If you feel the vet is not being helpful or aggressive enough with treatment, these can be ordered online and you can treat her yourself.

With her Age, Marek's disease is always a possibility as discussed in your other thread which can be found HERE:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-ideas-on-cause.1606679/page-2#post-27379364

A sulfa drug was prescribed every 12 hours for 7 days. The vet had me add it to her tube feeding. She said that was the strongest because that chicken is so sick. She said to use Corid on the others since they seem to be okay.

Marek's is what I'm scared of because if it is Marek's, I don't want to prolong her suffering. If it is coccidiosis, I want to help her recover. I wish the answers were more clear.

 

[NwChickOwner]

What is being used to treat the Coccidiosis and the dosage?

Corid will generally take care of Coccidiosis and you should see recovery fairly quickly within in couple of days.
Sometimes a bird may have a strain that doesn't respond to Corid, so Toltrazuril or a Sulfa antibiotic to treat severe outbreaks.

If you feel the vet is not being helpful or aggressive enough with treatment, these can be ordered online and you can treat her yourself.

With her Age, Marek's disease is always a possibility as discussed in your other thread which can be found HERE:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-ideas-on-cause.1606679/page-2#post-27379364

Based on that treatment, do you think she should already be improving? How long would you tube feed before euthanizing her with the assumption it is Marek's. If that happens, we need to plan it to be able to send her to the state lab for a definitive answer.

 

[coach723]

I'm not clear on when the sulfa was started?

 

[NwChickOwner]

I'm not clear on when the sulfa was started?

Saturday, so today is day number 5. It’s being given every 12 hours. She has had nine doses so far.

 

[coach723]

I would have expected to see at least some improvement by now. I'm not ruling out Marek's either, but there are other things that can mimic it symptom wise. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to know for sure until necropsy, and when nothing else helps at all, that may be the only way to know. If she's not getting worse then no reason not to finish the meds. If she's getting worse, then maybe time to talk to the vet again.

 

[NwChickOwner]

I would have expected to see at least some improvement by now. I'm not ruling out Marek's either, but there are other things that can mimic it symptom wise. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to know for sure until necropsy, and when nothing else helps at all, that may be the only way to know. If she's not getting worse then no reason not to finish the meds. If she's getting worse, then maybe time to talk to the vet again.

Thanks so much. It’s tough and all the tube feeding and physical therapy is emotionally draining. I’ll finish out her round of medication at least and then reevaluate. That was very helpful to me that you said that, thanks again!